Disclaimer: I do not own Blood Ties or any of its characters. They are Tanya Huff's creations.

Characters thoughts in italics

Thanks to my beta, Lena! She always helps me stay true to the Blood Ties characters.

Chapter 3

Stanley Nelson stared at the beer bottle. He should have left the bar hours ago. Instead he had sat on a bar stool and ordered a Budweiser. Seeing his daughter had really unsettled him. He was hoping their reunion would have gone better but she didn't even let him say much.

What did I expect? That she would run into my arms and tell me how much she missed me. At the time I had a drinking problem. I wasn't father material. She was better off without me. At least that's what I kept telling myself. I should have come back sooner. It might be too late to salvage our relationship.

He threw some cash on the counter and left the drink untouched.

Getting wasted isn't going to help the situation. I have to be patient. She'll call. She has to.

Stanley slowly walked to his black Toyota Echo, shifted the car into drive and sped off.

As Henry sipped his glass of water, he watched Vicki devour the last of her General Tso's chicken and fried rice.

"I'm glad I followed your advice. This was definitely better than take out. How did you find this place?"

Henry smiled mischievously. "That's a story for another time."

"I'll get that story out of you. I have my ways," Vicki teased.

Henry's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Maybe you can show me your ways some time."

A petite Asian woman with short brown hair approached their booth. "Would you like dessert?"

Vicki shook her head firmly. "Unless I want to roll out of here, no."

Her brown eyes rested on Henry. "How about you?"

"I am fine."

The waitress batted her eyelashes and flashed a thousand watt smile. "You sure are. I'll be back with your check."

The blond private investigator stifled a yawn as she shook her head.

"How about I take you home?" Henry offered.

"I really should go back to the office and try to get some stuff done."

"And how do you expect to accomplish anything when your body is craving sleep?"

"You know what they say about sleep. It's overrated."

"Whoever said that was sorely mistaken. Besides you've had a long day. Why don't you call it a night? I am sure your paperwork will still be there in the morning."

"You're not going to let up. Are you?"

"No. Is it working? Am I wearing you down?"

The waitress interrupted their conversation by placing the check in the middle of the table. "Have a nice night."

Vicki plastered a smile on her face while Henry said, "Likewise."

Henry removed some cash from his money clip and placed it on the table while Vicki searched her jacket pockets.

"Vicki, that won't be necessary. I have it covered. I suggested this outing therefore I should be the one to pay for it."

"You know we are living in modern times. It's okay if two friends dining together split the bill," Vicki countered.

"Offering to split the bill was once considered rude because it implied that the person who initially suggested the idea of dining out wasn't able to pay. You wouldn't want to offend me. Would you?"

"I wouldn't dream of offending your highness so I guess this time I'll let you have your way but don't get used to that."

"Ready, Victoria?"

The private investigator slid across the booth. "I'm still deciding whether I should go to the office or home."

"So you'll let me know on the way right?"

"Of course." Vicki led the way out of the restaurant with Henry following close behind.

Lying in her bed with her head cradled in her arms, Vicki pondered the situation with her father.

Maybe Henry is right. Maybe I should hear him out. Maybe it's time to heal old wounds. Is that even possible? So much time has passed since he left. Maybe it will feel good to tell him how what he did affected me? Will talking to him really change things for me? Maybe my relationship with my father or lack of relationship explains why all of my relationships have failed. Maybe I've always been waiting for them to walk away just like he did. Maybe if I confront him, my future relationships will be different. My relationships will no longer be colored by what my father did.

Vicki massaged her temples trying to alleviate a headache which had developed from all the questions swirling through her head.

I'll sleep on it. I still have plenty of time to make a decision.

She closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep.

Author's note: According to a very reliable source, the reason Vicki's father left is different in the books. In this fanfiction, I chose to go in a different direction.